Blind Ghostwriter: Starts with the full level of Nine Yang Magic Skill

Chapter 239 Slaying Through the Ghost City (1.2 words, requesting monthly votes)

The night sky was as black as ink, and the silvery moon was half-hidden.

The human-faced monster roared to the sky, its mane covered with icy blood scabs. Wherever its scarlet snake eyes swept, the green tiles and white walls cracked and crumbled, the ground rubble surged, and even the ancient locust tree that had been rooted for hundreds of years was uprooted and smashed with soil towards the delegation's courtyard.

As its towering body took to the air, the moon behind it became a blurry spot of light. The scales on its tiger-bodied body and snake-tail gleamed with a cold, iron-blue light, each scale the size of a millstone with jagged spikes growing backwards along its edges, as it charged toward the courtyard of the Southern Jin delegation.

"How dare you, you beast, behave so presumptuously!"

Just then, a shout exploded like thunder, and the copper bells on the eaves shattered in response.

On the eaves of the tall building stood a middle-aged man as imposing as an iron tower, clad in heavy black armor. His bronze arms peeked out from the seams of the armor, his muscles bulging like the gnarled roots of an old pine tree. As he leaped down, shattering the tiles, his blood surged like a mighty river. He held a spear as thick as a bowl in his hand and hurled it at the human-faced monster. A huge spear imprint condensed in the void and fell rapidly. The moment the spear imprint condensed, the sound of metal clashing echoed through the air.

The human-faced monster in the void stretched out its huge tiger claw and slapped out. The tiger claw suddenly expanded to three feet, and black demonic mist spewed out from the gaps in its scales. Its five sharp claws were like soul-snatching blades forged from refined iron, and the tips of its nails dripped with black blood that corroded everything.

When the claws struck, the demonic mist and the gun imprint collided violently, exploding in mid-air with blinding light and a deafening roar. The void twisted violently, and visible energy ripples spread outward from the point of impact.

In an instant, the heavily armored man was struck as if by a mountain, flying backward and carving five deep furrows in the wall. Several scales on his armor were also shaken off, and the spear in his hand trembled wildly, making a "buzzing" sound, almost slipping from his grasp.

However, the human-faced monster didn't gain much of an advantage either. Its massive body instantly lost its balance under the impact and collapsed to the ground like a small, crumbling mountain. The ground caved in under the immense force of the impact, forming a huge crater, with surrounding soil and rocks flying everywhere.

"Roar……"

The human-faced monster's terrifying face revealed its anger, and it let out a roar, slamming its claws into the ground, instantly cracking the ground in several places.

The man clad in heavy armor and wielding a long spear was none other than Lu Changyun, the Left General of the Imperial City Guard. He was recognized as the second-best fighter in the Imperial City Guard, second only to the Right General. He was a true iron-blooded expert forged through countless trials on the battlefield.

As the emperor's personal guard, the Imperial City Guard is a truly elite force, boasting numerous battlefield experts. However, like the Night Division, although many possess the skill level of a Grandmaster, none have been officially recognized as such.

Comparatively speaking, the Imperial City Division is more difficult to evaluate than the Night Division. This is because the experts in the Night Division at least know some martial arts techniques, while most of the experts in the Imperial City Division are skilled in head-on combat techniques. On the battlefield, in open areas, they have a great advantage in combat. However, in places like cities with more cover, the advantage of martial arts experts is more obvious.

However, Gu Mo had heard Ye Jinglan mention Lu Changyun before that his external martial arts skills were extremely formidable. Even Ye Jinglan, a martial arts master known throughout the martial world for his love of head-on confrontations, could only utilize the environment and employ some martial arts techniques when sparring with Lu Changyun, and dared not engage in a direct confrontation with him.

"Formation!"

Immediately after Lu Changyun clashed head-on with the human-faced monster, he issued an order. Instantly, a squad of over a hundred elite soldiers from the Imperial City Guard rushed to the courtyard where the Southern Jin delegation was staying. Armed with shields and spears, they formed a small battle formation and blocked the entrance. A faint aura of battle emanated from them, preventing the human-faced monster from entering the residence.

This place is, after all, the Honglu Temple, which is full of buildings. Moreover, the number of soldiers from the Imperial City Guard is not large, so it is impossible to suppress the human-faced monster by forming a battle formation and using battle qi.

It will have some impact, but it's only as useful as the battle aura created by the Linhai County garrison when Gu Mo faced the head shopkeeper in Yanluo County—useful, but very limited. After all, it's not a large army or a battlefield, and the human-faced monsters can move. Therefore, the battle aura here can only be used in conjunction with specially made shields to form a defense and intercept the human-faced monsters' charges.

In an instant, more than a hundred shields formed a huge iron wall.

The human-faced monster roared and charged forward, but Lu Changyun naturally wouldn't just stand by and watch. He quickly grabbed his gun and rushed over.

With a loud "boom",
A deafening roar shook the ground as the human-faced monster, carrying a foul stench, slammed violently into the shield wall. A dozen shield guards were instantly sent flying like kites with broken strings, but the well-trained soldiers behind them quickly filled the gaps. The clanging of the shields clashing together created a continuous sound, firmly blocking the monster's attack.

Just as the monster was about to launch its second charge, a silver light pierced through the air.

Lu Changyun's spear moved like lightning, aiming straight for the monster's lantern-sized eyes. The monster suddenly tilted its head, and its two barbed tiger claws lashed out with lightning speed.

Lu Changyun hurriedly withdrew his spear to parry, but with a crisp "crack," his tiger's mouth split open, and before the blood droplets could drip, they were blasted into a blood mist by the shockwave. As he knelt on one knee, the blue brick beneath his knee shattered into three layers with a "crack."

The monster's scarlet maw snapped down, a foul stench assaulting the senses. Saliva dripped from its sharp teeth, hissing white smoke as it eroded the ground.

Just then, a flash of cold light appeared, and a large sword flew like a meteor, slashing heavily at the monster's fangs. Sparks flew, and amidst a deafening clang of metal clashing, the sword was deflected and flew back, landing in Ye Jinglan's hand.

The moment he gripped the hilt of the sword, his figure vanished from the spot in a bizarre manner, leaving only a massive sword shadow in the world, carrying a sharp killing intent. The countless sword shadows condensed into a blade of light about an acre in size, and wherever the sword energy passed, the air was cut open, revealing deep purple void rifts.

The demonic beast roared and its claws sent Lu Changyun flying. It then turned to face the shadow of the blade.

"Roar, roar..."

It opened its blood-red maw and let out several roars. Streams of solidified sound waves surged out like raging waves, causing the void to tremble wherever they passed.

The giant blade collided with the sonic wave, unleashing a deafening roar. Ye Jinglan's figure appeared; he gritted his teeth and plunged his longsword into the sonic wave, the blade slowly and laboriously advancing inch by inch.

In that instant of stalemate, the tiger's tail, covered in scales, suddenly grew several feet long and swept across like a steel whip. Each scale gleamed with a chilling light, like countless sharp throwing knives, intent on tearing Ye Jinglan to pieces.

Ye Jinglan's pupils contracted sharply, and he was about to sheathe his sword to parry—

"hold head high"

A dragon's roar echoed through the night sky, and Gu Mo's figure descended from the heavens.

He slapped out with both palms, and two roaring fire dragons tore through the darkness, carrying an intense heat that could burn everything. The stones on the ground instantly vaporized, and some trees burst into flames with a "poof." The two fire dragons crashed heavily into the monster.

The monster let out a shrill scream, its massive body flying backward, scattering stones and bricks in its wake, causing a building to collapse with a roar, and raising clouds of dust.

"Roar……"

In an instant, a bloody wind suddenly swept through the ruins. The roars of the human-faced monsters were so loud that they made everyone's eardrums ache. Broken bricks and broken wood were stirred up as if by an invisible giant hand, forming a swirling death storm in mid-air. The broken stones screeched as they rubbed against the air, and bricks and stones of the city wall crumbled wherever they passed.

Immediately, Gu Mo prepared to unleash his power with both palms, Ye Jinglan drew his sword to meet the attack, and Lu Changyun charged forward with his gun.

However, the human-faced monster suddenly stopped and turned around, its tiger tail sweeping out a cloud of dust as cover. Its huge body drew a strange arc in the air and crashed into the artificial lake.

Water splashed several meters high on the lake surface, like a white mushroom cloud rising. The lake water was stained dark purple by the demon's blood. Countless fish floated to the surface belly up. The reeds on the lake shore withered and turned black instantly. The air was filled with a pungent, putrid smell. Only the whirlpool in the center of the lake spun rapidly.

Gu Mo and the others could clearly sense that the human-faced monster had already escaped to the bottom of the lake, which was clearly beyond the depth of the artificial lake.

Ye Jinglan said in a deep voice, "What's going on with this artificial lake? The human-faced monster came out from below, and now it's escaping again?"

Lu Changyun immediately ordered someone to bring in an official from the Court of State Ceremonial. The official explained tremblingly, "The Court of State Ceremonial suffered a landslide forty years ago, leaving a deep pit. After consulting a feng shui master, a lake was built here. To facilitate drainage, the pit was left unrecorded and connected to a drainage ditch. Normally, the opening is sealed with a copper door, and it is only opened when the lake needs to be refilled!"

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Lu Changyun's expression was not good. Although nothing serious happened today, the fact that the human-faced monster had openly appeared to assassinate him and then brazenly escaped in front of so many experts from the Imperial City Guard made him somewhat embarrassed.

Ye Jinglan looked at Gu Mo and whispered, "Brother Gu..."

"I'll chase him!"

Gu Mo jumped down immediately, as he was very envious of the Heavenly Will Four Symbols Technique that the system would reward him with after slaying the human-faced demon beast.

As for whether there will be danger in chasing after them.

Before he successfully mastered the Wuji Guiyuan Qi, he might have hesitated. But now, if any danger arises, he can simply unleash a wave of Wuji Guiyuan Qi to achieve equality among all beings. Is there any danger in this world that a single Wuji Guiyuan Qi cannot resolve? If so, then two waves will suffice!
"They're getting too big for their britches! They're getting too big for their britches!"

Gu Mo suddenly remembered that this morning, he had been telling his sister not to get too arrogant, but it turned out that he was the one who got arrogant.

I used to mock those who, having achieved great martial arts skills, would readily consider themselves invincible.

Thinking about it carefully, I realize that I have the same mindset right now.

Just as Gu Mo entered the water,
After saying something to General Lu Changyun, Ye Jinglan jumped down without hesitation. The two followed the whirlpool to the bottom of the lake and found the drainage hole. After rushing down, they saw a deep pit with a channel more than ten feet high in the middle.

The two flew over quickly.

Ye Jinglan asked, "Brother Gu, I heard that you have a Star Pattern Shadow Tracking Scroll, which can track down that human-faced demon beast, right?"

Gu Mo nodded and said, "I was worried that the beast would escape, so when I struck out with that palm, I put a star-patterned stone inside the beast's scales."

Gu Mo wasn't surprised that Ye Jinglan knew he possessed the Star Pattern Shadow Chasing Scroll. After the battle at Chunyang Temple in Cangzhou, he had openly taken the scroll, and he had used it again recently when dealing with the head manager. So, it wasn't a secret.

While talking,

Gu Mo took out the Shadow Chasing Scroll, and the pointer spun wildly before finally stopping.

Ye Jinglan asked in confusion, "Brother Gu, why are you pointing in two directions?"

"The other one is Zheng Laodao, who is being tracked down."

"That old guy is in big trouble!"

The two quickly chased after him through the cave.

……

In the backyard of Wan Hua Lou, in the courtyard of the courtesan Su Qingyu.

As dawn broke.

Su Ziyou opened his eyes, looked at Su Qingyu sleeping beside him, gently removed Su Qingyu's hand from his body, then tiptoed out of bed, put on his coat, and walked towards the door.

When he reached the door, he glanced at the incense burner, walked over slowly, took out a packet of white powder from his pocket, poured it in, and then went out.

As the top courtesan of Wan Hua Lou, Su Qingyu's treatment was naturally different from that of ordinary courtesans. She had her own courtyard and several maids to serve her.

When Su Ziyou reached the corner of the courtyard, he looked around to make sure no one was there, and then quietly entered the study on the east side.

This is Su Qingyu's study, which contains two rows of bookshelves, a Jiao Wei Qin (a type of zither), and some writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.

Su Ziyou saw a framed calligraphy scroll on the table. It was the poem he had personally written and given to Su Qingyu a few days ago. It was through that poem and his calligraphy that he gained the opportunity to become Su Qingyu's confidant.

In the following days, he didn't actually write any good poems or lyrics, but he was still able to stay overnight in Su Qingyu's room.

Although he is suspected of using public funds to visit brothels, he can swear to God that he was sacrificing himself for the sake of investigating the case.

Based on various clues and the files he found in the Imperial City Bureau, he was almost certain that there was something wrong with the Wan Hua Lou. After his investigation, all the clues pointed to the courtesan Su Qingyu. That's why he didn't hesitate to sell his body and talent to get to know and sleep with Su Qingyu!

After these few days of covert observation,
He suspected there were clues in the study, so he secretly put some calming medicine in the incense burner so that Su Qingyu could sleep soundly.

Looking at the calligraphy copybook on the table, Su Ziyou sighed slightly. Then, he groped his way to a corner in the dark and felt around for a while. When he found a loose spot, he gently pressed it, and the wall suddenly parted, revealing a hidden passage.

Su Ziyou took a deep breath, hurriedly entered the secret passage, and then fumbled around until he found the closing mechanism and shut the door.

The tunnel was pitch black.

Su Ziyou took out a tinderbox, blew on it, and quickly moved forward. Soon he came to an open area. He looked around and saw an oil lamp on the wall, so he hurriedly lit it.

After he lit a few oil lamps, the dark room became bright.

The first thing that caught my eye was dozens of spirit tablets.

Su Ziyou glanced around, and when he saw the memorial tablet in the very center, his pupils contracted slightly—the memorial tablet of his late father, Chen Yuanchang.

He recognized the name Chen Yuanchang; he had seen it in the files of the Imperial City Guard.

Seven years ago, not long after His Majesty ascended the throne, a rebellion occurred, affecting thirteen court officials, all of whom came from humble backgrounds. Among them was a third-rank Yunhui General named Chen Yuanchang, whose entire family of thirty-two was executed.

Su Ziyou glanced at the other memorial tablets next to Chen Yuanchang's; the names were all ones he had seen in the files.

He could then confirm that this Chen Yuanchang was the same Chen Yuanchang who had his entire family executed seven years ago.

Su Ziyou stared at the spirit platform for a while and keenly noticed that one of the spirit tablets had an unusual mark, clearly indicating that it had been moved frequently. He immediately picked up the spirit tablet and found that it was connected to an iron chain at the bottom. With a gentle pull, he discovered that it was connected to an iron chain.

The wooden plank beneath the altar suddenly split open, revealing a large hidden compartment inside.

Su Ziyou picked up an oil lamp and saw that it was filled with pieces wrapped in oil paper. When he opened them, he found that they were all sandalwood from Yunlu.

At the bottom of this hidden compartment, there was another booklet. He quickly picked it up and flipped through it. It turned out to be an account book, and the contents of it shocked him even more.

The contents of this ledger actually matched those of the ledger Ye Jinglan had brought back from Ghost City and Ghost Wind Pass.

Immediately, his mind raced with a thousand thoughts, but he couldn't quite grasp them. So he hurriedly stuffed the ledger into his pocket and prepared to leave.

However, the moment he turned around, he suddenly trembled and almost scared his soul away, because there was someone standing behind him at some point, none other than Su Qingyu, who should have been sleeping.

Su Ziyou forcibly suppressed his inner panic and pretended to be calm, saying, "Miss Qingyu, what a coincidence!"

Su Qingyu's beautiful face was filled with resentment as she looked at Su Ziyou through teary eyes and said, "My lord, are you really so heartless that you have no feelings for Qingyu at all?"

Su Ziyou sighed and said, "Miss Qingyu, if it weren't for my compassion for you these past few days, I wouldn't be here alone today. I would have asked General Ye Jinglan to protect me in secret."

A hint of surprise flashed in Su Qingyu's eyes, but it was fleeting. She said to Su Ziyou, "But, my lord, you still want to kill me, don't you? Actually, from the very beginning, I knew you were here to investigate me."

Su Ziyou asked in confusion, "Then why?"

Su Qingyu sighed and said, "My original intention was to pretend I didn't know you were investigating me, and then secretly make a move against you, but... that day when we had our first heart-to-heart talk, I... couldn't bring myself to do it. I never thought there would be a man like you in the world. Your talent, your eloquence and knowledge, and your respect for women all fascinate me!"
These past few days, I've been with you every day. I've always thought to myself, if, if you were willing, it wouldn't be bad for me to become your concubine. I know you're secretly investigating me, but I still hold onto a sliver of hope that you'll be moved by me and stop investigating me. But… in the end, I was just overthinking it.”

Su Ziyou shook his head slightly and said, "I did indeed want to redeem you, but I know you've gotten involved in the Sihai Chamber of Commerce's entanglement with Ghost City. I'm worried that you might not be able to salvage the situation."

So, even knowing you had clues here, I still chose to risk coming alone, thinking that if you weren't deeply involved, I could use my identity to quietly erase your traces, and later find an opportunity to change your appearance so we could live a harmonious life together. If you could bear me a child, it would definitely resemble you and be as beautiful as you.”

As he spoke, Su Ziyou's eyes reddened slightly. Holding up the account book in his hand, he said, "Miss Qingyu, tell me, is there any possibility that you will turn back?"

Su Qingyu's body trembled slightly, and she bit her lip. She no longer dared to look into Su Ziyou's eyes, nor could she meet his expectant gaze.

“My lord,” Su Qingyu said after a long while, “I… can’t turn back. You should have already guessed my identity. With your intelligence, you should also know what we are doing.”

Su Ziyou slowly said, "I've been thinking, how could Shang Wujiu, a ruthless and evil master who kills without blinking an eye, willingly disfigure himself just to be an ordinary musician by your side? I never doubt love, but I don't believe that a villain like Shang Wujiu could have such pure love."

Then, a second question arose. As the black glove of the Four Seas Merchant Guild, Judge Cui of Ghost City couldn't sell genuine Yunlu sandalwood, and all genuine Yunlu sandalwood on the market was documented. What was the point of him brewing genuine Yunlu sandalwood? If he wanted to use it himself, he could simply obtain or purchase it from the Four Seas Merchant Guild. Brewing it himself would easily expose his relationship with the guild, and the guild wouldn't allow him to do so. Yet, the Four Seas Merchant Guild still allowed him to obtain the genuine formula. This was very strange.”

Speaking of which,

Su Ziyou pointed to the sandalwood incense under the Lingtai and said, "Only just now did I realize that the genuine sandalwood incense brewed by Judge Cui was not circulated in the market at all, but was used for something else."

The sandalwood here is probably the same sandalwood used when Song Zichu, the county magistrate, was murdered some time ago; it has something added to it. For example, if the sandalwood used to kill Song Zichu had Datura pollen from the River of Oblivion added, it means that other things could also be added, such as drugs that can cloud one's mind.

With the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce's Yunlu Sandalwood as a cover, even if someone notices something amiss and investigates, they won't find anything wrong. This is because the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce's Yunlu Sandalwood is genuine, and there is no other authentic Yunlu Sandalwood available on the market besides that from the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce.

"Your Wan Hua Lou openly purchase genuine Yunlu sandalwood from the Si Hai Chamber of Commerce, but secretly use Yunlu sandalwood laced with chemicals provided by Judge Cui. Then, through your methods, you've controlled many people, such as the Blood-Handed Qin Master Shang Wujiu, and several leaders who suddenly betrayed His Majesty in their struggle for control of the Imperial Treasury. They didn't betray His Majesty; they were controlled by you. Am I correct?"

Su Qingyu nodded slightly.

Su Ziyou took a deep breath and said, "Now I suspect that my feelings for you and my growing affection for you are also because you used the same method to control me."

"No, no, absolutely not." Su Qingyu quickly said, "I did have that thought at first, wanting to control you with Yunlu sandalwood incense, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I want you to truly love me!"

Su Ziyou breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Qingyu, turn back. There will be a chance, there will definitely be a chance."

Su Qingyu shook her head and said, "I can't turn back." She pointed to the memorial tablets and said, "You know my identity now, and you also know the truth about Yunlu Sandalwood. My lord, do you really not know what we are doing now?"

Su Ziyou said in a deep voice, "We all assumed the disturbances in Ghost City were related to the signing ceremony of the four-nation trade agreement. However, before that, I have a question: why didn't Empress Dowager Yan break the agreement at the point of its signing? If it was to reap the benefits later, the risk would be too great. If she succeeded, it would only make the imperial treasury a little richer, which would be icing on the cake for her. But if she failed, she would completely lose her last bit of leverage over His Majesty, and the struggle between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor would be decided directly. That risk is too great!"
While investigating the unusual activity in Ghost City, I discovered that the commotion this time was extremely large. I even suspected that Empress Dowager Yan might be planning a coup. However, I dismissed this thought as soon as it crossed my mind. After all, while Empress Dowager Yan might not understand military affairs, her subordinates certainly wouldn't. Against an army, the more martial arts practitioners there are, the less effective they become; they simply become a disorganized mob. It's impossible for martial arts practitioners to launch a coup.

As he spoke, Su Ziyou pointed to the memorial tablets and said, "It wasn't until I saw this that I suddenly understood. A mutiny is possible because there are many descendants of meritorious officials from commoner backgrounds like you who were deceived by Empress Dowager Yan. If those private armies left behind by those meritorious officials were integrated, they would have the power to launch a surprise mutiny. And Ghost City is just right to hide those private armies. Over the years, they have been secretly preparing enough equipment to build an army. With the help of Ghost City, they can appear directly in the capital."

Furthermore, given Yunlu Sandalwood's years of groundwork, it's likely they've infiltrated the Imperial City Guard as well, though they haven't acted yet. Once the opportunity arises, using Yunlu Sandalwood's hidden methods, while it's unlikely to cause the Imperial City Guard's army to defect, it can create significant chaos and cripple their fighting capacity. This time, using the signing ceremony of the four-nation trade agreement as cover, everyone thought it was still about the struggle for control of the Imperial Treasury, but Empress Dowager Yan was already preparing for a coup. With her intentions thwarted and the emperor caught off guard, His Majesty is in grave danger!

Su Qingyu said coldly, "That dog emperor deserves to die! My father and his comrades served the late emperor tirelessly, dealing with powerful clans and stabilizing the empire. If it weren't for their desperate struggles, how could that dog emperor be enjoying his current position? But in order to curry favor with the powerful clans, he betrayed them, discarding them after they've served their purpose, and even targeting commoners and meritorious officials. It's pitiful that my father, who was loyal to the emperor, ended up with his entire family being executed. That dog emperor deserves to die!"

Su Ziyou exclaimed in surprise, "There's such a hidden story? I saw your father's case in the Imperial City Guard's records; wasn't it said that he was involved in a rebellion?"

Su Qingyu said with deep sorrow, "It's just that the dog emperor is crossing the river and burning the bridge. My father was wronged and died. He was loyal to the emperor and grateful for the great kindness of the late emperor. How could he have any rebellious intentions? If it weren't for the Empress Dowager's secret help back then, how would we, the descendants of commoners who made meritorious contributions, have survived? When my father and his group first rose to power, they were taken care of by Empress Dowager Yan. In the end, it was thanks to Empress Dowager Yan that they were able to have some descendants. But that dog emperor has been trying to kill them all!"

"This this……"

Su Ziyou was struck dumb, staggering backward and leaning against the altar, murmuring, "How could His Majesty be such a person... Impossible... How could this be..."

Seeing Su Ziyou's state, Su Qingyu knew that his faith had been shattered, and said with great heartache, "My lord, I'm so sorry!"

"Kill me!" Su Ziyou said, utterly despondent. "I, Su Ziyou, have read countless classics and am devoted to serving my country and being loyal to my emperor. But my emperor is such a ruler. What's the point of all my reading? What's the meaning of my life?"

Su Qingyu looked at Su Ziyou, who was slumped on the ground, and a short sword appeared in her hand. She said softly, "My lord, I'm sorry, I really don't want to kill you, but I can't make the slightest mistake. The news absolutely cannot be leaked. So many lives have been lost, I can't joke with their lives."

I'm sorry, but... after today, I'll come and be with you..."

Su Qingyu walked towards Su Ziyou, looked at his lifeless expression, sighed softly, and said, "Wait for me to come back... Let's be buried together after we die..."

At that moment,

Suddenly, Su Ziyou's hand, which had been hanging behind his back, suddenly reached out in front of him, holding a long box about the size of a teacup. In that instant, the dark patterns on the box suddenly lit up, and hundreds of poisoned bone-piercing nails shot out with a sharp whistling sound. Each flying needle gleamed with a cold, eerie blue light, weaving together in the air to form an impenetrable net of death.

Su Qingyu's pupils contracted sharply. The soft sword at her waist moved like a serpent emerging from its hole, flashing with cold light as it unleashed a nine-layered sword curtain. The blade clashed with the flying needles, producing a dense metallic clang, sparks flying like fireflies. She lightly touched the ground with her toes and spun rapidly in mid-air, her clothes fluttering as her sword energy crisscrossed, actually knocking most of the flying needles to the ground. Wherever she passed, blue bricks shattered, wood chips flew everywhere, and even the bluestone ground three feet away was riddled with dense, honeycomb-like dents.

However, in that instant, Su Ziyou held the bronze gourd in his other hand, and the venom bursting from the gourd's mouth lashed out at Su Qingyu like a waterfall.

Su Qingyu instinctively swung her sword, but the venom landed on her instead.

The moment the black venom touched her skin, it corroded away flesh, revealing bone. Su Qingyu let out a heart-wrenching scream as the poison seeped into her skin through her pores, causing it to rot and turn black at a visible speed. Before she could dodge, her body was pierced by a series of flying needles; more than thirty bone-piercing nails sank into vital points, the blood droplets they sent forming eerie dark red trails in the air.

She staggered backward, black blood gushing from her throat mixed with bits of flesh and splattering onto the ground. Her twitching fingers dug five deep, bone-revealing gashes into the bluestone slab. Finally, she collapsed limply, looking at Su Ziyou as she opened her mouth, gushing poisonous blood, and stammered, "You...you said...you love me...is it...really..."

Su Ziyou opened the box of hidden weapons again, and a dense barrage of bone-piercing nails shot into Su Qingyu's body, piercing through her neck, face, and forehead, instantly killing her.

Su Ziyou finally breathed a long sigh of relief, looked at the corpse on the ground, and said, "Why would I spend money to buy love, Miss Qingyu!"

……

Ghost town, nestled amidst a maze of tunnels and canals.

Gu Mo was carrying the Shadow Chasing Manual and was chasing after Ye Jinglan at high speed.

In this underground ghost city, the human-faced monster's disadvantage was very obvious; its size was too large, which greatly restricted its movement. If it hadn't been locked onto by Gu Mo's Shadow Chasing Scepter, it could have escaped thanks to the complex terrain of the ghost city. However, being locked onto by the Shadow Chasing Scepter, it felt like it had nowhere to hide.

"what!"

As he continued chasing, Gu Mo suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "They overlapped!"

"What overlaps?" Ye Jinglan asked.

"The human-faced monster has merged with Zheng Laodao and hasn't moved. It's about three miles away!" Gu Mo said.

"Waiting for us?" Ye Jinglan asked in surprise.

Soon, the two emerged from a cave, and Ye Jinglan was shocked to find that below them was the first market town they had reached when they left the ghost city some time ago—Chensha Ferry.

However, today Chensha Ferry is deathly silent. It is still brightly lit, but very quiet. Apart from the occasional sound of the shifting sands outside the town, there is almost no sound.

However, Gu Mo could sense that there were many people in the town at the moment, at least a thousand.

"Brother Gu, is this a trap that's been set for us from heaven and earth?"

"Probably!" Gu Mo said, "Both Old Zheng and the human-faced monster are inside. I don't believe they weren't deliberately waiting for us."

The two used their lightness skills to glide across the quicksand and enter the town. The main road, which was more than two zhang wide, was deserted. Every ten steps or so, a tallow lantern hung on both sides of the street, casting a dim, yellowish light. The side alleys were narrow and cramped, with walls covered in moss and water seepage marks.

As the two went deeper into the room...

Suddenly, the sound of suona horns came from ahead, and four men with makeup that looked like paper figures appeared carrying a coffin. Behind them, four people played suona horns, their voices melodious and mournful.

The sedan bearers approached with a shuffling gait, stopping at the entrance of an alley. The coffin lid was slowly pushed open, revealing a person sitting upright inside, completely wrapped in shrouds from head to toe, except for a pair of eyes that were exposed, but eerily, ghostly blue flames flickered in their sockets.

Ye Jinglan said, "Among the Ten Evils, the Crying Ghost is most skilled in illusion. He likes to kill people and take their bones, and he only takes the spine bones. He says that the ghost fire made from the spine bones is the most authentic. In terms of overall strength, he ranks third among the Ten Evils, at the level of a grandmaster."

Gu Mo found the wanted information for the Crying Ghost in the system:

[Wanted Target - The Crying Dead]

[Mission Level—Three Stars]

[Quest Reward - Abyss Rainbow Sword]

……

The reward for this "Crying Ghost" quest is a relatively rare item: the Yuanhong Sword, a divine weapon from the anime/manga series *Qin's Moon*. Its blade is crimson red like blood, as thin as a cicada's wing, and its hilt is wrapped in black silk ribbons. Its original form was "Remnant Rainbow," forged from meteorite iron by the mother of Xu Fuzi, a swordsmith of the Mohist school. After Jing Ke's failed assassination attempt on the King of Qin, it was reforged into Yuanhong by the King of Qin, its murderous aura eliminated and its power enhanced, making it extremely sharp.

Even in this world, it would be considered one of the best among famous swords.

……

Ye Jinglan looked at the crying ghost and said, "You're not the only one who's planning to kill the two of us, are you?"

The weeping ghost sat silently in the coffin.

Just then, a hunched old man with sparse white hair emerged from a house. His face was covered in sores, and he wore a black robe with various colored venoms stained his cuffs and hem. A poison sac hung from his waist, emitting a pungent odor, and a chilling aura emanated from him.

The hunched old man cupped his hands towards Gu Mo and Ye Jinglan and said, "This old man, Bai Jiu, greets Hero Gu and Lord Ye!"

Ye Jinglan said, "Of the Ten Great Evils, five are still alive. Old Dao Zheng is here, and the Crying Ghost has also appeared. Now that you, Ancestor Bai Jiu of the Cold Pool, have also shown up, I suppose the remaining Old Scholar and Mad Sword must have arrived as well, right?"

As soon as Ye Jinglan finished speaking...
Two people appeared on a rooftop. One of them was Zheng Laodao, who had almost been beaten to death by Gu Mo earlier. Beside Zheng Laodao was an old man dressed in a blue robe, holding a folding fan, and wearing a square scarf on his head. He looked like an old scholar and was the most senior and longest-standing of the Ten Villains.

"Roar"

Immediately afterward, a roar resounded, and the human-faced monster appeared, slowly emerging from a tall building. Each paw that struck the ground created a deep crater. Standing on the monster's back was a young man, ragged and disheveled, with a hideous scar on his face. He held a broken sword, its blade riddled with nicks, his eyes filled with murderous intent, and a powerful, oppressive aura emanating from him.

This person is none other than the Mad Swordsman, widely recognized as having the highest martial arts skills among the Ten Evils and feared by all.

This man was a master swordsman, obsessed with swords. However, his obsession led him to become possessed by a demon. A few years ago, he even went mad and killed people indiscriminately in the capital. He was later suppressed by the Grandmaster of the Night Division, Chuanjia, and hid in the Ghost City, never to be seen again. However, legends about him often circulate because he continued to kill innocent people indiscriminately in the Ghost City.

Gu Mo checked the wanted information for the individuals in the system:

[Wanted Target – The Old Scholar]

[Mission Level—Four Stars]

[Quest Reward - Max Level Celestial Immortal]

……

[Wanted Target - Old Ancestor of the Cold Pool]

[Mission Level—Four Stars]

[Quest Reward - Max Level Heavenly Water Divine Skill]

……

[Wanted Target - Mad Sword]

[Mission Level—Five Stars]

[Quest Reward - Max Level Ten Thousand Leaves Flying Flower Flow]

……

"As expected, they've all arrived," Ye Jinglan cracked his neck and said, "Very good, very good. I've long been fed up with Ghost City, and today I'll wipe them all out in one fell swoop!"

The old scholar cupped his hands and said, "Lord Ye, please forgive my bluntness, but as long as the capital exists, the Ghost City will never be eradicated. Even if you kill us, it won't be long before a new batch comes in. It's unavoidable. To be honest, we still have some sense of propriety, but if a new batch comes in, they may not be as law-abiding as we are!"

Ye Jinglan sneered, "If you don't follow the rules, then we'll bring in another batch!"

"Impressive," the old scholar said, cupping his hands in greeting. "As expected of the Sword Emperor Ye Jinglan. However, Lord Ye, we do not wish to fight you to the death today. We only wish to sit down and have a proper talk with you and Master Gu. Is that alright?"

"Are you worthy?" Ye Jinglan said.

The old scholar chuckled and clapped his hands.

Suddenly, a riot broke out in the town. Countless martial arts practitioners carrying various weapons poured out from all directions, numbering at least a thousand, completely blocking all four sides of the town.

"Both of you are highly skilled in martial arts, but there are so many of us, plus the human-faced monster. Are you confident that you can kill us all before you run out of true energy..."

Before the old scholar could finish speaking,

Suddenly, Gu Mo made his move, a throwing knife flying directly towards the old scholar. The three-inch knife streaked through the air like a meteor, its cold light aimed straight for the old scholar's throat.

The old scholar's brows furrowed suddenly, and his withered, bony hand trembled violently. The sheep-hair brush in his hand transformed into an ink dragon that soared into the air. As the thick ink splashed, it solidified into a dark shield, and the brush bristles shot out like steel needles, weaving an impenetrable defensive net in the air.

The flying knife collided with the ink shield with a loud crash, and ink mist splashed everywhere in an instant.

Suddenly, the throwing knife burst into crimson flames, and flames surged across its surface.

The old scholar's eyes widened. In his eyes, the three-inch-long cold blade had transformed into a fiery wheel over ten feet long, as if a meteorite had fallen from the sky, the intense heat distorting the air into ripples.

The old scholar's pupils contracted sharply. Before he could react, the burning brush was engulfed by flames, and the charred handle exploded with a deafening roar.

The blazing flying knife, carrying immense force, pierced through the ink shield.

Blood mingled with sparks and splattered, the warm droplets of blood evaporating into mist in the flames.

The old scholar let out a faint sob, his withered fingers grasping at the air in vain before finally falling limply, spilling the still-wet ink and staining the bluestone slab with an eerie scarlet hue.

In that instant, a notification sound rang in Gu Mo's mind:

Kill a four-star wanted criminal

[Received a four-star reward - Max level Celestial Immortal]

[Whether to receive it]

……

Gu Mo immediately clicked to claim the skill, and in that instant, he reached the maximum level of the Celestial Immortal Sword Technique, mastering this legendary and flawless sword technique. It was formed by gathering the essence of the Eight Immortals of the Upper Cave, as flawless and pure as the blue sky and white clouds.

This move strikes from a high vantage point, the downward strike of the sword is brilliant and swift, the sword light flies obliquely, like a startled flash of lightning, like a rainbow traversing the sky, like a celestial being descending from heaven.

……

In the blink of an eye, I received the max-level Celestial Immortal skill.

Gu Mo didn't pause at all and shouted:
"Brother Ye, what are you standing there for? Kill!"

The voice has not fallen,

Gu Mo crossed his hands, and the Six Meridians Divine Sword transformed into a sword array that shot out, tearing through the void and forming a sword array cage that enveloped the Crying Ghost.

The grotesque, pale face of the weeping ghost twisted in the cold light of the sword array, its hunched back arched like a shrimp, and its hands, with fingernails glistening with the luster of corpse wax, dug themselves tightly into the edge of the coffin.

Gu Mo's fingertips trembled slightly, and the sword formation poured down like a silver river, piercing the night sky.

The four burly men carrying the coffin didn't even have time to put down the wooden poles on their shoulders before they were shredded into a bloody mist by the sword energy. Minced flesh mixed with wood chips splattered onto the blue bricks, making a sizzling sound. The gilded coffin was even more vulnerable; twelve sword marks tore through the coffin simultaneously, sending wood chips flying like falling snow.

However, there was no trace of the weeping ghost in the coffin.

Suddenly, thousands of white cloths poured out from between the broken coffin lids, like funeral banners pulled from the underworld. Each piece was soaked in a bluish-gray color like corpse oil, and they rolled up in the air to form a giant net that blotted out the sky.

In the blink of an eye, a tall white cloth cage trapped Gu Mo in the center. The skull embroidered on the cloth grinned in the night wind, dark red liquid seeping from its eye sockets, dripping onto the bottom of the cage and making a sizzling sound like burning metal.

"kill!"

The Cold Pool Ancestor stood on the roof ridge and shrieked. His two claw-like hands glowed with a purulent green poisonous light, and wherever the poisonous mist he flicked from his sleeves passed, white foam appeared on the bluestone slabs.

Old Zheng, shirtless, leaped down from the roof on the left. His tortoise-shell hand guards gleamed coldly in the moonlight. He toppled over like an iron tower, and the resulting wind pressure bent the two beams at the corner of the courtyard.

The human-faced monster charged forward, crushing the artificial hill. Its three-zhang-tall tiger body was wrapped in faded red silk. Suddenly, the swollen human face on the tiger's head split open, spewing out putrid black blood that splattered onto the cage, causing the white cloth to emit wisps of smoke.

Riding on the beast's back, Mad Sword raised his broken sword high. The human skin tassels wrapped around the sword moved without wind, and a bluish-gray sword intent, like a raging dragon emerging from the sea, tore through the top of the cage.

More than a dozen dark figures rushed in from all directions. Some flicked their sleeves and threw out poisoned short blades, some shot out bone-piercing nails by touching the ground with their toes, and some held three skull darts in each hand, arranging them in the air to form the Big Dipper constellation.

At the same time, a dense clang of metal came from afar. Ye Jinglan was trapped in the center by a fish-dragon formation formed by dozens of people. Every time his long saber slashed out an arc, three long swords attacked from tricky angles, forcing him to retreat seven steps. His boots plowed five sparks on the blue bricks.

Meanwhile, on Gu Mo's side, the white cloth cage that bound him suddenly emitted a piercing shriek and exploded, scattering strips of cloth in all directions.

Gu Mo's figure appeared as if squeezed out of the void, his innate qi swirling around him was a pale silver color, like a bright moon suddenly rising.

The moment the Cold Pool Ancestor's poisonous palm touched the edge of the protective energy, it exploded like a firecracker. He screamed and flew backward, the poisonous light in his palm turning silver by the energy, instantly burning through his entire arm. Zheng Laodao's tortoise-shell gauntlet slammed into the protective energy with a muffled thud like a giant bell. His iron-tower-like body was thrown three feet off the ground, and blood gushing from his throat sprayed onto the tortoise shell, splattering out crimson specks.

The tiger claws of the human-faced demon slammed into the protective aura, the resulting shockwave ripping off half the roof of the side room, tiles raining down like a storm. The Mad Sword's sword intent collided with the protective aura, the broken sword groaning under the strain. The human-skin sword tassel on his chest suddenly shattered, revealing dense incantations beneath, which crumbled into dust under the impact of the aura.

The dozen or so experts who were besieging the area felt a tightness in their chests, as if they were being crushed by a massive boulder. More than ten of them coughed up blood at the same time and were sent flying backwards, crashing into the vermilion wooden pillars of the corridor.

Immediately, everyone tacitly began to scatter and flee.

However, at that moment,

The group of experts barely managed to stand firm when they suddenly realized that the world before them had lost all color. The blue bricks had turned ashen, the white cloth had become deathly pale, and even the distant glint of Ye Jinglan's sword had become a monotonous silver-white.

Even more terrifying, their bodies seemed to be bound by invisible shackles, unable to even blink, and their breathing became stagnant.

This was the first time Gu Mo had used the "World Fades Color" martial art, a technique belonging to Qi cultivators.

The effect is very good.

They could only watch helplessly as Gu Mo raised his hand and condensed a longsword of true energy. At first, the sword was as faint as a candle flame, but in an instant it grew to more than ten feet in length, and the starlight flowing from the tip of the sword illuminated half of the night sky.

The moment the sword light fell, it was as if the world had been paused.

Blood lines appeared on the necks of more than a dozen experts at the same time, thinner than a hair but scarlet and glaring.

The head of the Cold Pool Ancestor hit the ground first, rolling three feet away, his eyes still wide open, and lingering venomous saliva still clinging to the corner of his mouth. Zheng Laodao felt a chill on his neck, and his fingers instinctively reached out to touch it. Warm blood immediately welled up between his fingers. He looked down at the blood in his palm and suddenly realized that his reflection on the bluestone slab was gradually blurring.

The wailing ghost, still wrapped in white cloth, stood in the middle of the street. The cloth began to tear, and streaks of blood spread out. Finally, it exploded with a "bang" and shattered into pieces.

Mad Sword held the broken sword horizontally in front of his chest with all his might, but was cleaved back ten feet by the sword light, crashing into half of the artificial mountain. He was almost falling apart. The human-faced monster had its fangs cut off and let out an unwilling roar. It carried Mad Sword and crashed through the back wall, fleeing out of the town.

The other experts fell like kites with broken strings, crashing into the courtyard with muffled thuds.

In that instant, three notification sounds rang in Gu Mo's mind:
Kill a four-star wanted criminal

[Received a four-star reward - Max level Heavenly Water Divine Skill]

[Whether to receive it]

……

Killing a three-star wanted criminal

[Receive the three-star reward - Abyss Rainbow Sword]

[Whether to receive it]

……

Kill a four-star wanted criminal

[Received a four-star reward - Max level Ecstasy Palm]

[Whether to receive it]

……

Ignoring the system's notification, Gu Mo chased after the human-faced monster.

now,

On the other side, Ye Jinglan, who had just used the Fourteen Heavenly Questions Blade to break through the Fish-Dragon Formation, was filled with shock. He swallowed hard and cursed, "If this doesn't get me into the top ten in the world, I, Ye Jinglan, will cut off my head and use it as a chamber pot!"

Immediately, Ye Jinglan wanted to chase after Gu Mo, but was surrounded by a large group of experts who were willing to risk their lives.

(End of this chapter)